Dancers Makeup Kit Checklist:
A Dancer’s Makeup look is often determined by the choreographer and/or the performance venue.
Stage performance – Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, and Contemporary dancers typically dance on a stage. Whether you are recital dancer, competitive dancer, or a professional dancer, you will need to wear a darker, more intense dancer’s makeup look than average everyday street makeup. This is because of the intensity of the stage lights, the intensity of costuming, and distance between the performer and the audience.
Outdoor performance – Depending on your style of dance, if you are performing outdoors, your dancer’s makeup look can be much more muted. For example, even though a dancer’s makeup look for stage often includes red lipstick, you may consider a more natural rose toned color instead.
Ballroom dance floor – When you are a ballroom dancer, you are usually performing on a dance floor that is at the same level as the audience and the lighting, though dramatic, is not quite as intense as stage lighting. However, a ballroom dancer’s makeup is often quite dramatic to accentuate the dramatic costuming and style of this genre.
Belly Dance performance – Belly Dancers have a variety of performance venues – stage, restaurants, and outdoor festivals. However, a belly dancers makeup is geared much more to the style of dance and costuming rather than the type of venue they are performing in. Their performance look can range from more natural and classical beautiful for Cabaret Belly Dancers makeup to the dramatically artistic styles of Tribal Belly Dancers makeup.
Ideally, choose hypo-allergenic/non-comedogenic (non-clogging to the pores), talc and paraben-free products that are as naturally derived as possible while being effective. A Dancer’s makeup look must be worn for long periods of time and this can be very hard on the skin, especially if it is sensitive or prone to breakouts. You do not want products that are going to make your skin look and feel horrible at the end of a performance weekend. There is nothing that can make you more self-conscious than irritated, reddened skin on an acne covered face.
Here is a list of what should be in your Dance Makeup Kit for a fabulous performance makeup look:
Foundation
• Hypo-allergenic/non-comedogenic (non-clogging to the pores)
• Mineral Oil Free
• Water-resistant/Sweat-resistant
• Full coverage foundation that feels very light on the skin
• Warm toned colors look best under stage lighting – avoid pink toned-foundation
• Half to one shade DARKER than natural skin tone for stage performances.
• Match your foundation color to skin for all other performance venues.
Loose Powder
• Translucent, containing very little pigment
• Sheer in tone so that it does not look cakey on the skin
Foundation Brush
• Used to apply a thin, coating of foundation
Triangle-shaped makeup sponges
• Used to smooth out foundation, blend colors, clean up mistakes
Eye Shadows
• Highly pigmented, water-resistant/sweat resistant, talc and paraben-free mineral makeup colors work well
• Three main shadows:
o Highlighter – light color
o Contrast – medium color
o Contour – dark color
• Neutral-warm, earth toned colors – black, brown, bronze, copper, gold, cream
Blush
• Highly pigmented, water-resistant/sweat-resistant, talc and paraben-free mineral makeup colors work well
• Neutral-warm reds or roses
Black Water-resistant mascara
Black Waterproof Liquid Liner OR Black Mineral Makeup Eye Shadow/Eye Liner
White Highlighter Eye Pencil
2 pairs of False Lashes – just to be on the safe side!
Waterproof Eyelash Adhesive – Duo is the BEST!
Lip Pencil – neutral-toned, long lasting (but not drying to the lips!)
Mineral Lip Stick – long-lasting (but not drying to the lips!)
Makeup Brushes – lip, eyeliner, eye shadow, blush, complexion, brow comb/brush
Glitter/Shimmer powders (as determined by choreographer)
Adhesive for glitter